wigopediafandomcom-20200214-history
Good Charlotte
Good Charlotte is a Punk-Pop band, formed in 1996. They have had many singles, some of their more popular songs being "The Anthem," "Girls and Boys," and "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous." They took their band name from a children's book written by Carol Beach York. The band is fronted by identical twin brothers Benji and Joel Madden, born in Washington, DC. Band members *Joel Madden: Vocals *Benji Madden: Guitar and vocals *Billy Martin: Guitar *Paul Thomas: Bass *Brian ...: Drums (the begining-1996) *Aaron Escolopio: Drums (1996-2001) *Dusty: Drums (2001-2002) *Chris Wilson: Drums (2003-Present) Biography Frontmen Joel and Benji Madden grew up in the town of Waldorf, Maryland. They started the band in 1996 when they recruited childhood friends Paul Thomas (bass) and Aaron Escolopio (drums). They soon moved to Annapolis and met Billy Martin through a mutual interest in the band Silverchair. Airplay on radio stations WHFS and Philadelphia's Y100, as well as gigs with band such as Blink 182, Lit, Eve 6, Nine Days and Bad Religion, eventually led to a contract with Epic Records, which released Good Charlotte's self-titled debut album in 2000. One song, "The Click," was featured as the theme song for MTV's animated series, "Undergrads," then later added to the rereleased version of their self-titled CD. Escolopio left the band in early 2001 to join the band Wakefield with his brother. He was replaced with Dusty, who left the band before the recording of their second album, The Young & the Hopeless. As a result, Josh Freese plays on that album. The Maddens' stint as VJs on the MTV show "All Things Rock" helped boost their profile even higher. As a result, "The Young & the Hopeless" was a major success, with 5 singles. The Maddens also run a record label called DC Flag, and the clothing company MADE. Guitarist Billy Martin also runs a clothing company, Level 27. The band are currently in the studio, recording their third studio album titled "The Chronicles Of Life And Death". They are scheduled to play 12 dates on the 2004 Vans Warped Tour. Criticism Though the band members dress and act in a stereotypically punk rock manner, they are almost universally rejected within the punk scene. Veteran punk fans claim that the band goes against every part of the anti-commercial, do-it-yourself ethos that punk was founded on. They argue that Good Charlotte is only cashing in on the current trendiness of the genre; citing as evidence their frequent appearances on MTV and magazine covers as well as their fondness for major record labels (as opposed to the smaller labels that supported early punk music) and brand name clothing. Fans of the band have responded that as times change, so must music; and they ask why a contemporary band should be judged on a tradition that seems like ancient history to them. The debate is largely unsolveable: it rests on one's own definition of what punk music and selling out actually are. Discography * "Good Charlotte" (Epic Records) (2000) * "The Young and the Hopeless" (Epic Records) (2002) * "The Chronicles of Life and Death" (Epic Records) (scheduled to be released on October 5, 2004) Category:American musical groups